Grate-bar.



CALVIN R. WAID, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

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Application filed. February 28, 1814. Serial No. 821,752.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN R. ,WAID, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefierson and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Grate-Bar, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to grate bars, one of its objects being to provide a bar made up of sections held together in a novel manner whereby any one or more of the sections can be readily removed and others substituted in the event of wear or breakage, thus saving the expense of a new bar.

A further object is to provide a sectional Y grate bar the units of which are formed with air passages by means of which the said segments can be kept cool and thus prevented from warping. These passages also produce a better draft than would otherwise be possible and, consequently, the fuel is more thoroughly consumed. v

Another object is to provide the bar segments with spacing bosses so shaped as to allow theashes or other unconsumed matter to fall freely into the ash pit without clogging the spaces between the segments, the unconsumed fuel being thus held at all times above the ashes driftin therefrom.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in'the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departin from the spirit of the invention.

In tie accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown. g v

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grate bar of the rocker type, the middle portion of the bar being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through one end portion of the bar. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the segments Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

converge downwardly, asshown at 3. The

shank 'ofthe unit has angular recesses 5 in opposed sides thereof and the lower end of the shank'is preferably rounded, as shown at 6. A boss 7 is formed upon one side of the head 2, this boss being substantially triangular in outline, the upper edges of the boss converging upwardly to the apex 8. A longitudinal channel 9 extends from the apex of the boss and downwardly along the shank to the 'bottomthereof, said channel beingintersected bya transverse groove 10 formed in the shank. A corresponding groove 11 is formed in the opposite side of the shank and directly opposite the groove 10. The channel 9 preferablytapers upwardly as shown in Fig. 4E.

A number of units such as described are utilized to make up a bar and in addition to such units, end units 12 and 13 are used. The unit 12 is thicker than the unit hereinbefore described and is not only provided with recesses 14 corresponding with the re cesses 5, but has two heads 15 spaced apart by an integral portion 16 the sides of which diverge downwardly. A boss .17 similar to the bosses 7 is provided at the inner side of the'section 12 while a trunnion 18 projects from the outer side ofsaid section. The end section or unit 13 of the bar is likewise provided with two heads 19 these being spaced.

apart by an integral portion 20 having downwardly diverging sides similar to the upper edges of the bosses 7. A trunnion 21 extends from the outer end of this unit 13 and in alinement with the trunnion 18. One of theintermediateunits ofthe bar is provided with a depending arm 22 preferably forked as shown.

Holding bars 23 are seated in the registering recesses 5 and 1a and are held in place by bolts 2Ac disposed at desired intervals and extending through certain of the registering grooves 10. By tightening these bolts, the bars 23 can be caused to bind upon the units of the grate bar and hold them in fixed relation to each other. If, however, one of the units should become broken or burned to an undesirable extent, a new one can be substituted merely by. removing bars 23, disengaging the undesirable unit therefrom, substituting a new unit and then reassembling the parts as before.

Trunnions 18 and 21 are adapted to res-t in suitable bearings and by connecting a suitable actuating element to the depending arm 22, the bar can be rocked. This rocking will result in the agitation of the fuel andany ashes supported by the bar will be caused to fall downwardly along the inclined upper edges of the bosses 7 and 17 and along the inclined faces of the portions 16 and 20. Should any of the ashes drop into the passages formed by the registering grooves 9, they will gravitate therethrough by reason of the fact that these passages increase in diameter toward their lower ends. Air is constantly supplied to'the fire not only between the heads 1 but also through the passages formed by the grooves 9.

lVhere it is desired to utilize a stationary bar, the trunnions l8 and 21 are dispensed with and in lieu thereof end sections are provided as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 Each end section has recesses 25 for the reception of holding bars 26 but the heads of the end sections are extended beyond the ends of the holding bars, as shown at 27, thus to form support engaging brackets. These elongated heads can be provided with upstanding portions 28 corresponding with the heads 2 on the other units of the grate bar.

It is to be understood that the segments may be made in such shape as to permit them to be placed between the holding bars at any angle, this being especially desirable in the stationary type of bar wherein the segments should be so placed that the ash hoe or rake would not fall down between the segments and become hung. Furthermore, if desired, the heads of the segments can be made V-shaped or angular instead of straight as shown, which would obviate the necessity of placing the segments at an angle, in case it should be desirable so to do.

Instead of making the segments solid, as shown in Fig. 4, a hole can be formed in each segment just above the boss, this hole increasing in transverse area toward. the boss side of the segment and sloping downwardly at a sharp angle so as to prevent accumulation of ashes or unconsumed matter within the opening. This hole will permit expansion and will tend to prevent cracking and breaking in the top of the segment for the reason that additional ventilation is allowed close to the fire and this will result in a general protection to the segment.

In view of the fact that a more thorough combustion of fuel is obtained by the use of a grate bar such as herein described, it will be apparent that a marked saving of fuel will result.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A grate bar including a plurality of units, each formed in a single piece and each having a fuel supporting head and a spacing boss at one side of the head, said boss having downwardly diverging upper edges, there being an air conducting groove extending longitudinally within one side of each unit along the center thereof and up to the apex of the boss, each unit being adapted to fit snugly against the grooved side of the next adjoining unit, and means for holding the units together.

2. A grate bar including a plurality of units, each formed in a single piece and each having a fuel supporting head and a spacing boss at one side of the head, said boss having downwardly diverging upper edges, there being an air conducting groove extending longitudinally within one side of each unit along the center thereof and up to the apex of the boss, each unit being adapt ed to fit snugly against the grooved side of the next adjoining unit, said units having recesses in opposed faces thereof, and hold ing bars secured within the recesses and having their outer faces flush with the corresponding faces of the units.

3. A grate bar including a plurality of units, each formed in a single piece and each having a fuel supporting head and a spacing boss at one side of the head, said boss having downwardly diverging upper edges, there being an air conducting groove extending longitudinally within one side of each unit along the center thereof and up to the apex of the boss, each unit being adapted to fit snugly against the grooved side of the next adjoining unit, said units having recesses in opposed faces thereof, and holding bars secured within the recesses and having their outer faces flush with the corresponding. faces of the units, said air conducting grooves gradually diminishing in cross sec tional area toward their upper ends.

1. A grate bar including a plurality of units, each formed in a single piece and each having a fuel supporting head and a spacing boss at one side of the head, said boss having downwardly diverging upper edges, there being an air conducting groove extending longitudinally within one side of each unit along the center thereof and up to the apex of the boss, each unit being adapted to fit snugly against the grooved side of the next adjoining unit, said units having recesses in In testimony that I claim the foregoing as opposed faces thereof, holding bars secured my own, I have hereto affixed my signature Within the recesses and having their outer in the presence of two Witnesses. facesflush With the corresponding faces of CALVIN R. WAID.

5 the units, trunnions extending outwardly from the end units, and an actuating arm depending from one of the other units.

Witnesses:

ALBERT STRANGE, J E. I-IEFFERNAN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for Me cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

